Long ago on independence square (Arnold, Valley Park: vegetables, Lutheran, avoiding)

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

I was able to find a 1986 lawsuit against the city of Independence related to constant basement flooding in a home at Savage and Sea. The lawsuit does not identify the source of flooding as a South Fork of Spring Branch but says only that the area is a watershed. The storm runoff invaded the city sewer and backed up in the homeowners basement--sometimes to a depth of five feet. The jury awarded the homeowners $39,000 in damages. They purchased the house for $14,000 in 1971.


So, if the stream from Woodlawn cemetery running east under Lee’s Summit at Elm is actually the main Spring Branch Creek, where is the South Fork?


If the stream running from the spring at Noland and Truman east to eventually run along Truman turns out to be the main Spring Branch rather than the North Fork, this would surely make the stream running from Woodlawn cemetery as the South Fork. So where would the North Fork be?

Again, everyone have a nice pair of holidays.

Happy Boxing Day Everyone!

I decided to consult an expert on local history for her opinion on which is the true Spring Branch Creek. Pearl Wilcox wrote in her book, Jackson County Pioneers (page 146) "Big Spring", a popular watering place at the present foot of East Maple and Dodgion streets, flowed from a rock bluff into a large trough which continually overflowed and formed what became known as Spring Branch Creek.

And on page 149 she wrote One of the other large springs was on East Linden, east of Woodlawn Cemetery. This water was used by Samuel Gregg when he erected the slaughterhouse which supplied fresh meat daily for his meat shop in town. (She does not name this spring nor creek.)

Based on this evidence, coupled with several maps clearly showing Spring Branch Creek as originating from Woodlawn; and the evidence presented from city documents showing catch basins for Spring Branch Creek along both main branches; I hereby thusly do render my verdict that at some point in the past The Powers That Be extended the Spring Branch Creek to all of the main tributaries of said waterway, with the original branch being proven to be the one along the current Truman & Dodgion.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Happy Boxing Day Everyone!

I decided to consult an expert on local history for her opinion on which is the true Spring Branch Creek. Pearl Wilcox wrote in her book, Jackson County Pioneers (page 146) "Big Spring", a popular watering place at the present foot of East Maple and Dodgion streets, flowed from a rock bluff into a large trough which continually overflowed and formed what became known as Spring Branch Creek.

And on page 149 she wrote One of the other large springs was on East Linden, east of Woodlawn Cemetery. This water was used by Samuel Gregg when he erected the slaughterhouse which supplied fresh meat daily for his meat shop in town. (She does not name this spring nor creek.)

Based on this evidence, coupled with several maps clearly showing Spring Branch Creek as originating from Woodlawn; and the evidence presented from city documents showing catch basins for Spring Branch Creek along both main branches; I hereby thusly do render my verdict that at some point in the past The Powers That Be extended the Spring Branch Creek to all of the main tributaries of said waterway, with the original branch being proven to be the one along the current Truman & Dodgion.

Apparently they celebrate Boxing Day in Canada but not in the US.


You could be correct about Spring Branch.

FEMA “Flood Insurance Study Jackson County, MO” with a preliminary date of October 10, 2014, is in eight volumes.

The study of Spring Branch is at Exhibit 340-344P
The study of North Fork, Spring Branch is at Exhibit 339P
The study of South Fork, Spring Branch is at Exhibit 242-243P.

Unfortunately, none of the exhibits are shown.

[CaseyMO]

Originally Posted by Mad Anthonie

Happy Boxing Day Everyone!

I decided to consult an expert on local history for her opinion on which is the true Spring Branch Creek. Pearl Wilcox wrote in her book, Jackson County Pioneers (page 146) "Big Spring", a popular watering place at the present foot of East Maple and Dodgion streets, flowed from a rock bluff into a large trough which continually overflowed and formed what became known as Spring Branch Creek.

And on page 149 she wrote One of the other large springs was on East Linden, east of Woodlawn Cemetery. This water was used by Samuel Gregg when he erected the slaughterhouse which supplied fresh meat daily for his meat shop in town. (She does not name this spring nor creek.)

Based on this evidence, coupled with several maps clearly showing Spring Branch Creek as originating from Woodlawn; and the evidence presented from city documents showing catch basins for Spring Branch Creek along both main branches; I hereby thusly do render my verdict that at some point in the past The Powers That Be extended the Spring Branch Creek to all of the main tributaries of said waterway, with the original branch being proven to be the one along the current Truman & Dodgion.

I think I render a different decision. First, the stream from the springs at Maple and Dodgion is THE Spring Branch Creek and that it goes north of Spring Branch Road and returns to the south side just west of Fransden.

Second, the other stream from East Linden may or may not be the one that crossed the farmland after passing under South Kiger and may or may not have been called "Spring Branch."

Now, we need to see if that was the stream. If it was, we should be able to walk it to its origin if we begin at Lee's Summit Road and walk westward. I have a feeling that we will not uncover the name of this creek. If it begins at East Linden, maybe we could nickname it, "The Slaughterhouse Creek."

[WCHS'59]

It could be also that there are not three separate streams.

The stream from Noland and Truman could be the North Fork and the stream from Woodlawn cemtery could be the South Fork and they converge to form Spring Branch at the point south of Truman and just west of M-291 to form the main flow.

[WCHS'59]

Did we lose wchs61?

[Mad Anthonie]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Did we lose wchs61?

Well, he isn't under the sofa cushions! Perhaps he is traveling for Christmas.

[CaseyMO]

Originally Posted by wchs61

Yes I remember the roller coaster 7 hills. As I recall the speed limit was 70 going over those hills. Fun... There was a grocery store right next to the turnoff to the "hills" as I recall but it's long since gone.

Yes I remember that bridge. There was another bridge over a creek or something about 1/2 mile west of Kiger road on Truman Road heading toward Independence. I think I remember a kid getting killed there in a car wreck in the late 50's or early 60's while I was still in school.

The young lady killed on the bridge on Truman, which was just west of Fransden, was Elizabeth Mann. She lived on Ellison Way. The driver of the car lived on Queen Ridge between Sea and Pacific.

Welcome to the group. I am thinking that I may need to change my moniker here to WCHS-63.

How far were you from Reisinger's Garden?

Let's see 1961? Sparky Arnold, Judy Babb, James Charpie, Mike Coughenour, Bill Craig, Jerry Gates, Patsy Gosney, Larry Haddock, Bob Hinde, Teddy Holsworth, Pam Love, Mike McCart, Richard McKenzie, Steve Mitchell, Butch Morman, Jerry Sackman, Ron Shuler, Fred Warren, and Gerald Webb.

WCHS61, did you know any of these people?

[CaseyMO]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Good deal. The more the merrier. Silver Doc was from that area also. He has not been on here in a while though. Let's have some memories.

If my memory is correct, he lived on Jones Road.

[WCHS'59]

On this 1934 top map, both streams are labeled Spring Branch.

Well, maybe not. I just noticed it says Spring Branch Road rather than labeling the stream "Spring Branch."

As with the other maps, the "South Fork" is labeled "Spring Branch."

[CaseyMO]

Originally Posted by wchs61

Ok, here goes. I first lived just east of the "Little Blue" River (I think that was the name) on Truman Road. Not too far from where 23rd street turns 4 lane (or did back then, 23rd may be all 4 lane now) and goes into Lake City Arsenal. In high school that 4 lane was a drag strip for a lot of kids. At times the 1/4 mile was marked on the pavement but was removed routinely by someone, probably the cops. The house we lived in was at the top of the next hill just after you crossed over the river (creek really back then except during flood season) on Truman. It burnt down sometime back in the 60's I think. In 1953 we moved to the first house east of 291 on Truman on the south side. Our house is still there, although it looks (courtesy of Google Earth) to be in better shape now. I remember we paid $5000 for the house. A huge amount for us. Back then there was a house next to us (gone now) and a junk yard which looks like it's still there in some form again courtesy of Google Earth. A set of railroad tracks ran behind our house which were used by a cement factory (we called it a rock crusher) that used to be just west of 291 but it is gone now. The tracks are still there. There were lots of mining tunnels in the area that I used to explore mainly in the summertime because they were very cool (temp wise) and we didn't have AC until later. It was probably very dangerous but I was just a kid who didn't know better. I think some of the mines were made into bomb shelters or something after I left the area. I lived there until I was 17 (1960) and then we moved into Independence proper. I have attached a picture looking west on Truman toward the 291 bridge around 1958. I assume attachments are allowed, if not please tell me.

I've blabbed enough for now so I think I'll stop and see if this generates any discussion.

Everyone who graduated from WCHS in the late 50s or early 60s know about the Lake City Drag Strip.

Our family had a farm in the late 1940s to mid-1960s at the north end of Trail Ridge. It extended to the west to South Kiger and on the north side of the land were the same railroad tracks of which you speak. The north end of our property was adjacent to the "rock crusher" aka Stewart Sand and Gravel. My brother and I crossed over the fence onto Stewart Sand's property the night the place burned down. That was quite a fire.